Our most recent survey, “The Pandemic Workplace: Impact on Career Decisions” reports the dominant preference of respondents to continue the flexibility to “work from anywhere.” The vast majority (98%) expressed their preference for working in a hybrid (56%) or fully remote (42%) office situation. But, the survey also reveals the risks and challenges ahead as… Read more »
Many professionals have lived for nearly two years in the “work from anywhere” world. That includes the majority of the 1,200 consumer marketing and market research professionals we surveyed. How it influences their career decisions is a game changer. “The Pandemic Workplace: Impact on Career Decisions” survey reports the undeniable and dominant preference to continue… Read more »
O’Connell Group has been recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms. Forbes partnered with market research company Statista to find the best executive recruiters specialized in filling positions with salaries of at least $100,000. O’Connell Group entered the list for the first time this year in the top 100. Let’s do… Read more »
The Pandemic Workplace Survey measured the impact of remote work on team culture, recruitment and retention. The survey revealed the glimmer of a silver lining which has became a reality: remote work offers flexibility that contributes to greater productivity and job satisfaction. It also opens access to a broader talent pool when relocation is off… Read more »
Productivity Rises for 87%, Relationships Suffer for 81% St. Louis March 17, 2021 – Going into the second year of the COVID-19 global pandemic, a national survey reveals the double-edged work-from-home effect: higher productivity but noticeable impact on workplace relationships and culture. These are among key findings of a new survey warning of significant challenges… Read more »
During the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly every American office worker has been required to adapt to significant changes in communication, work routines and socialization. These unforeseen changes have presented new opportunities related to workplace flexibility. But they have also raised concerns related to nurturing a strong team culture, recruiting and retaining talent, and assessing cultural fit… Read more »
The COVID-19 pandemic has both reinforced and accelerated underlying shifts in recruiting demand that we detected nearly two years ago. Even before the onset of the crisis, forward-thinking consumer packaged goods companies (CPG) rekindled interest in building their behavioral insights teams – but with key differences in their requirements. The pandemic has fast-tracked searches for… Read more »
Natural Products Expo East and West are living, breathing examples that capital continues to chase innovation even as the natural products segment is maturing. Disruption is the “new normal,” and larger Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) companies are finished losing ground to nimble innovators. They are competing more fiercely than ever with private equity investors to… Read more »
Natural products represent the wave of the future for the consumer packaged goods industry, as companies of all sizes strive to leverage Millennial trends, growing environmental awareness, improving health and wellness education and greater demand for transparency. Transformation in Full Force In an already competitive talent market, the transformative stage of the natural products industry… Read more »
Natural products represent the wave of the future for the consumer packaged goods industry, as companies of all sizes strive to leverage Millennial trends, growing environmental awareness, improving health and wellness education and greater demand for transparency. Transformation in Full Force At Natural Products Expo West this year, the energy level was off the charts,… Read more »
If “making better hires” tops your list of resolutionsfor 2017, the philosophy of hiring great people attributed to Netflix will resonate with you: “the true enabler of their high trust culture, is the fact that they do better hiring.” That is often easier said than done in the highly competive CPG industry. But it does… Read more »
In an election year, the word goes out: hiring is in a slump. But for consumer packaged goods companies seeking top marketing and market research talent, the election year hiring slump appears to be a myth. And, a dangerous one, at that! True, reports about election year paralysis make headlines. Bloomberg News cited the Duke… Read more »
There appears to be no end in sight to the rising level of debt Americans incur from a four-year degree, let alone the cost of earning an MBA from top business schools. But, that challenge may present an opportunity to hire the front-running candidate for your marketing or market research job. Business schools have… Read more »
More U.S. workers are satisfied with their jobs than at any time since 2005. According to the recent survey by Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), 88 percent of employees said they were satisfied overall with their job. With low unemployment and high job satisfaction, the recruiter’s challenge to find the best CPG candidate should… Read more »
The latest Business Roundtable survey hints that hiring may soften as this year goes on, as the economy performed below potential during the first quarter. But business is cyclical – and a bump like this one does not change reality when it comes to recruiting the best consumer packaged goods talent: Top candidates will always… Read more »
You may recall the iconic Dragnet detective, Sgt. Joe Friday, who asked for “just the facts, Ma’am, just the facts.” That’s as much as a resume delivers: a reasonable indication of a person’s skills and experience. A well-written resume will even give you an appreciation for how consistently the candidate has converted their potential to… Read more »
One of the most common reasons for recruiting failure is losing sight of the real purpose: Getting the BEST to say YES! But there are other advantages to always consciously acting as both a buyer and a seller in the CPG recruiting process. In every interaction with every candidate, you must consciously integrate deliberate efforts… Read more »
Recruiting activity in 2016 will surely reflect the outcomes from the CPG industry’s robust appetite for mergers, acquisitions and relocation activity within the last year. Continued consolidation in the CPG industry, especially food, should increase the supply of candidates looking for a new opportunity. Yet, what would seem to be a bountiful candidate supply, in… Read more »
The consumer packaged goods (CPG) recruitment environment in 2016 has reached a new pinnacle of speed and competitiveness. Most of the top candidates are quickly gone from the market within 10 days or less. For hiring managers in consumer-facing companies who are seeking talented professionals, the bar is high. But, you can leverage key consumer marketing… Read more »
Does your consumer-driven organization view talent, and talent acquisition, as an investment or an expense? Organizations commonly reference “human capital,” to imply their investment in people, who represent their organizations most “valuable asset.” Yet, when it’s time to build your staffing plan and budget, the message is loud and clear: “human capital” is considered as current… Read more »
Have you ever had to sweat it out, waiting to hear whether your superstar candidate would accept your job offer? Chances are you have – and it’s not one of the high points of being a hiring manager. The fact is: If you’re ambitious enough to attract the best talent, then at least two-in-five candidates… Read more »
Brand managers are business leaders responsible for growing top-line revenue and bottom-line profit for one or multiple brands. Among their many duties, they are tasked with building and maintaining a strong online and traditional media presence that presents an industry-leading image to all your stakeholders and constituents. Which qualities should you seek as you complete… Read more »
It’s official: By the end of this year, millennials will be the largest generation in the global workforce. Born between approximately 1980 and 1997, members of this population segment tend to be highly adaptable, entrepreneurial, team oriented and creative. Sixty-eight percent of millennials have high-demand skills that prior generations lacked. At the same time, 53… Read more »
Dixon Smith and Virginia Roher recently represented O’Connell Group’s consumer insights and analytics recruitment team at The Market Research Event. They share their observations based on conversations at this leading market research industry conference. Attending The Market Research Event (TMRE) once again provided us with the opportunity to step away from the recruiting desk… Read more »
Checking references once you’ve found the candidate of your choice may seem like a mere formality, but it can save you from a costly hiring mistake. Think of it as wearing a life jacket when you go sailing or a seat belt while driving: The one time you need it proves to be a lifesaver…. Read more »
As the new year begins, the market research industry will be challenged to push the envelope to continue delivering value and having a measurable business impact. “Big data” may be a debated term, but the concept it represents is a reality. Business leaders are emphasizing skill sets that translate data from many sources into cogent… Read more »
Based on decades of experience and deep industry knowledge as brand marketing and consumer insights recruiters, O’Connell Group shares best practices and useful insights to help you build your team. Thomas Jefferson’s stirring words in the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed… Read more »
Traditional wisdom has dictated that hiring managers should avoid recruiting overqualified candidates. The perception is that they may cause morale issues, they’re expensive, and they will jump ship at the first suitable opportunity that presents itself. But smart hiring decisions today are based on keen evaluation of skills and deep understanding of motivations – not labels…. Read more »
